Page 150 of 741
1503-4. Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
WARNING
■Caution while driving
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Doing so may cause the driver to mishandle the vehicle and an accident,
resulting in death or serious injury.
■ After adjusting the steering wheel
Make sure that the steering wheel is securely locked.
Otherwise, the steering wheel may move suddenly, possibly causing an
accident and resulting in death or serious injury.
Page 152 of 741
1523-4. Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
Auto anti-glare inside rear view mirror
Responding to the level of brightne ss of the headlights of vehicles
behind, the reflected light is automatically reduced.
Changing automatic anti-glare
function mode
On/off
When the automatic anti-glare
function is in ON mode, the indica-
tor illuminates.
The function will set to ON mode each time the engine switch is turned to
the “ON” position (vehicles without smart key system) or IGNITION ON
mode (vehicles with smart key system).
Pressing the button turns the function to OFF mode. (The indicator also
turns off.)
■ To prevent sensor error (vehicles with auto anti-glare inside rear view
mirror)
Indicator
To ensure that the sensors operate prop-
erly, do not touch or cover them.
WARNING
Do not adjust the position of the mirror while driving.
Doing so may lead to mishandling of the vehicle and cause an accident,
resulting in death or serious injury.
Page 155 of 741
1553-4. Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
3
Operation of each component
RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
WARNING
■Important points while driving
Observe the following precautions while driving.
Failure to do so may result in loss of control of the vehicle and cause an
accident, resulting in death or serious injury.
● Do not adjust the mirrors while driving.
● Do not drive with the mirrors folded.
● Both the driver and passenger side mirrors must be extended and properly
adjusted before driving.
■ When a mirror is moving
To avoid personal injury and mirror malfunction, be careful not to get your
hand caught by the moving mirror.
■ When the mirror defoggers are oper ating (vehicles with outside rear
view mirror defoggers)
Do not touch the rear view mirror surfaces, as they can become very hot
and burn you.
Page 159 of 741

RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
1593-5. Opening, closing the windows and moon roof
3
Operation of each component
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■Closing the windows
● The driver is responsible for all the power window operations, including the
operation for the passengers. In order to prevent accidental operation,
especially by a child, do not let a child operate the power windows. It is
possible for children and other passengers to have body parts caught in
the power window. Also, when riding with a child, it is recommended to use
the window lock switch. ( →P. 156)
● Check to make sure that all passengers do not have any part of their body
in a position where it could be caught when a window is being operated.
● When exiting the vehicle, turn the engine switch to the “LOCK” position
(vehicles without smart key system) or off (vehicles with smart key sys-
tem), carry the key and exit the vehicle along with the child. There may be
accidental operation, due to mischief, etc., that may possibly lead to an
accident.
■ Jam protection function (if equipped for driver’s window)
● Never use any part of your body to intentionally activate the jam protection
function.
● The jam protection function may not work if something gets jammed just
before the window is fully closed. Be careful not to get any part of your
body caught in the window.
■ Catch protection function (if equipped for driver’s window)
● Never use any part of your body or clothing to intentionally activate the
catch protection function.
● The catch protection function may not work if something gets caught just
before the window is fully opened. Be careful not to get any part of your
body or clothing caught in the window.
Page 163 of 741

RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
1633-5. Opening, closing the windows and moon roof
3
Operation of each component
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
■Opening the moon roof
● Do not allow any passengers to put their hands or heads outside the vehi-
cle while it is moving.
● Do not sit on top of the moon roof.
■ Closing the moon roof
● The driver is responsible for moon roof opening and closing operations.
In order to prevent accidental operation, especially by a child, do not let a
child operate the moon roof. It is possible for children and other passen-
gers to have body parts caught in the moon roof. Also, when riding with a
child, it is recommended to use the window lock switch. ( →P. 156)
● Check to make sure that all passengers do not have any part of their body
in a position where it could be caught when the moon roof is being oper-
ated.
● When exiting the vehicle, turn the engine switch off, carry the key and exit
the vehicle along with the child. There may be accidental operation, due to
mischief, etc., that may possibly lead to an accident.
■ Jam protection function
● Never use any part of your body to intentionally activate the jam protection
function.
● The jam protection function may not work if something gets caught just
before the moon roof fully closes.
Page 168 of 741

168
RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
■Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of brake
system needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or whenever the
parking brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Toyota dealer per-
form the bedding down operation.
■ Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability
of the correct fuel. ( →P. 677)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■ When driving the vehicle
● Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake
pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi- culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the
vehicle only slightly. This allows you to depress the brake and accelera-
tor pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake
pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-
ing in an accident.
● Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot
parts may cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
Page 169 of 741

RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
1694-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving the vehicle
● During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine off
while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be lost. This will make it more difficult to
steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it
is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the normal way: →P. 605
● Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. ( →P. 204)
● Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.
● Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body
are not outside the vehicle.
● Do not drive the vehicle off-road.
This is not an AWD vehicle designed for off-road driving. Proceed with all
due caution if it becomes unavoidable to drive off-road.
● Do not drive across river crossings or through other bodies of water.
This may cause electric/electronic components to short circuit, damage
the engine or cause other serious damage to the vehicle.
● Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on your vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.
Page 170 of 741

170
RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
● Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle.
● Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid.
● After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected.
■ When shifting the shift lever
● Do not let the vehicle roll backward while the shift lever is in a driving posi-
tion, or roll forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
● Do not shift the shift lever to P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
● Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
● Do not shift the shift lever to a driving position while the vehicle is moving
backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
● Moving the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the
engine from the transmission. Engine braking is not available when N is
selected.
● Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected
rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in
death or serious injury.